State Officials Say It's Time To Pray For Rain
CHICAGO (CBS) -- All of Illinois is now officially in a drought, and state officials are looking to the heavens for some intervention.
As WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports, Gov. Pat Quinn on Thursday asked people to pray for rain, saying it is "serious."
"I mentioned the power of prayer. That's a good thing to do," Quinn said.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller also emphasized the desperate need for rain.
"The best thing for us to do is just hope and pray for rain, and hopefully that will turn around, but there's really a forecast of not much of an end in sight in terms of our drought conditions," Miller said.
The state's climatologist, Jim Angel, says it would take several good-sized rains to turn things around.
The governor travels to Southern Illinois on Monday to talk about ways the state can help farmers on top of praying.
CBS 2 Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist says the entire state of Illinois is now considered to be in a drought. The Illinois Drought Monitor says Chicago and suburban Cook County remain in a state of moderate drought, but parts of Lake and McHenry counties are now in a severe drought.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports
